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November 25
1800s *1889 - Jack Glasscock, claiming that his pledge to the Brotherhood does not constitute a binding contract, signs with the Indianapolis Hoosiers of the National League, thus becoming the first "double jumper." *1899 - Sporting Life reports that New York Giants owner Andrew Freedman wants to reduce the National League to eight clubs and purify the game by eliminating "certain parties who have been unduly prominent in the sport for cheap notoriety and the money there is in it." 1900s-1930s *1911 - William Russell, head of the syndicate that owns the Boston Nationals, dies. No doubt helping his demise was watching his team finish the season with a .291 winning percentage. Former player, now attorney, Monte Ward and New York politician James Gaffney will purchase 945 of the 1000 shares for $177,000. The team, also known as the Rustlers (or Doves) will start next season as the Braves. *1914 - Future Hall of Fame outfielder Joe DiMaggio is born in Martinez, California. The son of Italian immigrants, DiMaggio will make his major league debut in 1936 and will spend his entire big league playing career with the New York Yankees. *1930 - The Sporting News, acting to fill the Most Valuable Player void, announces its selection of New York Giants first baseman Bill Terry as the MVP in the National League, and Washington Senators shortstop Joe Cronin in the American League. 1940s-1950s *1941 - With only three years of major league experience, shortstop Lou Boudreau is named as the Cleveland Indians manager. He takes over for Roger Peckinpaugh, who moves up to the front office as the Indians general manager. At the age of 24 years, four months, and eight days, Boudreau becomes the youngest skipper to pilot a team in the 20th century. Scotland-born Jim McCormick managed Cleveland in 1879 at age 23. *1944 - Judge Kenesaw Mountain Landis, first commissioner in MLB, dies of a heart attack at age 78 in Chicago. Landis had ruled over baseball since November 1920 in the wake of the Black Sox scandal, and wielded authority perhaps unparalleled in any other industry. Landis had entered the hospital on October 2. He will elected to the Hall of Fame on December 9 in a special ballot. *1947 - Sam Breadon sells the St. Louis Cardinals empire to Robert Hannegan and Fred Saigh. The price is in excess of $4 million with the new owners getting the Cardinal players, physical assets, 16 minor league franchises, $2.1 million in reserve funds and payment on a new ballpark site, four minor league parks, and the lease on Sportsman's Park. Breadon had first acquired an interest in the Cardinals in 1917 and bought control in 1920 for an investment of $350,000. *1949 - Ted Williams, who lost the Triple Crown when his batting average was .0002 below that of George Kell, wins the American League MVP Award vote in a landslide. Phil Rizzuto and Joe Page finish second and third in the voting. *1952 - The St. Louis Cardinals seek payment from the New York Giants for two televised games in an effort to determine the TV and radio rights of visiting teams for revenue. *1958 - The Baseball Writers Association of America names Chicago Cubs slugger Ernie Banks as the National League Most Valuable Player. Willie Mays of the San Francisco Giants is the runner-up. 1960s-1970s *1962 - The Boston Red Sox trades American League batting champ Pete Runnels to the Houston Colt .45's for outfielder Román Mejías. *1966 - Cincinnati Reds infielder Tommy Helms is voted National League Rookie of the Year. *1969: **Outfielder Lou Piniella of the Kansas City Royals wins the American League Rookie of the Year Award. **The Cincinnati Reds trade outfielder Alex Johnson and infielder Chico Ruiz to the California Angels for pitchers Pedro Borbón, Jim McGlothlin and Vern Geishert. The talented but troubled Johnson, who hit over .300 in his two seasons with the Reds, will win the American League batting title in 1970. Borbón and McGlothlin will be valuable additions to the big “Red Machine”. *1970 - New York Yankees catcher Thurman Munson receives twenty-three of twenty-four fiirst-place votes and is named American League Rookie of the Year. Munson batted .302 during the regular season. Cleveland Indians outfielder Roy Foster is also named on a first place ballot. *1972 - The Sporting News announces Gold Glove Award winners. Pittsburgh Pirates outfielder Roberto Clemente wins his 12th straight, and Los Angeles Dodgers first baseman Wes Parker his sixth in a row. Neither will play in 1973. *1974 - Mike Hargrove of the Texas Rangers takes American League Rookie of the Year honors. 1980s-1990s *1980 - Gene Michael becomes the 25th manager in New York Yankees history, replacing a resigning Dick Howser. Under Michael, the Yankees will win the pennant in 1981. *1981 - Rollie Fingers of the Milwaukee Brewers becomes the first relief pitcher ever to win the AL Most Valuable Player Award, edging Rickey Henderson of the Oakland Athletics, 319-308. Fingers saved 28 games while posted a significant 1.04 ERA. *1985 - Chicago White Sox shortstop Ozzie Guillén, who hit .273 with just 12 errors in 150 games, is named AL Rookie of the Year. Milwaukee Brewers pitcher Teddy Higuera, who posted a 15-8 record and a 3.90 ERA, finishes second in voting. *1986 - Oakland Athletics outfielder José Canseco wins the AL Rookie of the Year Award, becoming the first Athletics player to do so since pitcher Harry Byrd in 1952. *1991 - The Montréal Expos trade first baseman Andrés Galarraga to the St. Louis Cardinals for starting pitcher Ken Hill. Galarraga will struggle for St. Louis before enjoying a career renaissance with the Colorado Rockies in 1993. *1993 - The last surviving member of the St. Louis Cardinals' “Gashouse Gang” passes away. Eighty-three-year old Burgess Whitehead dies from a heart attack in Windsor, North Carolina. Whitehead served the Cardinals as a backup in 1934, when they won the World Series. *1998 - The Anaheim Angels sign free agent first baseman Mo Vaughn to a six-year contract, a year longer than the Boston Red Sox were willing to give Vaughn. 2000s *2002: **The Boston Red Sox sign 28-year–old Theo Epstein as their new general manager. Epstein, a life-time Red Sox fan who was grew up about a mile from Fenway Park, becomes the youngest GM in ML history. **Detroit sends 1B Randall Simon to Pittsburgh in exchange for three minor leaguers. *2003 - The Chicago Cubs trade first baseman Hee Seop Choi (.210 BA, 10 HR, 32 RBI) and a minor leaguer to the World Champion Florida Marlins in exchange for Gold Glove first baseman Derrek Lee (.271, 31, 92). *2004 - After spending $67 million to acquire its former president’s shares of the Seattle Mariners, the Nintendo's U.S. subsidiary now owns more than 50 percent of the franchise. Due to the presence of superstar Ichiro Suzuki, Seattle is one of the favorite major league teams in Japan. *2005: **The cost-cutting Florida Marlins finalized their big trade with the New York Mets, sending slugger Carlos Delgado to New York for first baseman Mike Jacobs and prospects pitcher Yusmeiro Petit and infielder Grant Psomas. The Mets will also receive $7 million from the Marlins to help cover the $48 million Delgado is owed over the next three seasons. Just yesterday, the Marlins completed other big deal by shipping ace pitcher Josh Beckett, third baseman Mike Lowell and reliever Guillermo Mota to the Boston Red Sox for prospects shortstop Hanley Ramirez and pitchers Aníbal Sánchez, Jesús Delgado and Harvey García. Frustrated they have been unable to put together financing for a new ballpark, the Marlins said earlier this week they have received permission from the commissioner's office to explore moving the franchise for the 2008 season. Trading away Delgado, Beckett and Lowell will cut Florida's payroll, which was $60 million at the start of last season, by about $27 million for 2006. The deals are reminiscent of the famous "fire sale" the Marlins had after winning the 1997 World Series. Florida won only 54 games the following season. **The Philadelphia Phillies and the Chicago White Sox completed their deal that sends slugger Jim Thome and cash to Chicago for center fielder Aaron Rowand. Philadelphia also gets two minor leaguers. Births *1865 - Bert Cunningham, pitcher (d. 1952) *1875 - Freddy Parent, infielder (d. 1972) *1880 - Frank Corridon, pitcher (d. 1941) *1895 - Jakie May, pitcher (d. 1970) *1914 - Joe DiMaggio, Hall of Fame outfielder (d. 1999) *1928 - Ray Narleski, All-Star pitcher *1951 - Bucky Dent, All-Star infielder *1957 - Chico Walker, infielder/outfielder *1966 - Mark Whiten, outfielder *1968 - John Johnstone, pitcher *1968 - Shingo Takatsu, pitcher *1973 - Octavio Dotel, pitcher *1978 - Joe Borchard, outfielder *1980 - Nick Swisher, outfielder Deaths *1944 - Kenesaw Mountain Landis, Hall of Fame executive (b. 1866) *1984 - Ival Goodman, All-Star outfielder (b. 1908) *1985 - Ray Jablonski, All-Star infielder (b. 1926) *1993 - Burgess Whitehead, All-Star infielder (b. 1910)